Minnesota Today

Republicans say frustration over COVID-19 vaccines, restrictions and other steps taken during the pandemic will be a central theme as they meet in Rochester. Convention delegates who arrived for the opening Friday say they’re hopeful their eventual nominee can beat incumbent Gov. Tim Walz. This is the evening MPR News update for Friday, May 13. Hosted by Nancy Lebens. Theme music by Gary Meister.

Minnesota Republicans gather Friday in Rochester for their state party convention amid a backdrop of discontent fueled by dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden, lingering anger over pandemic restrictions many felt went too far and a false sense that Donald Trump unfairly lost in 2020.

This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Thousands of homes and businesses remained without power across southern Minnesota on Thursday in the wake of severe storms that brought damaging winds, flooding rain, hail and one confirmed tornado. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Kirsti Marohn. Music by Gary Meister.

Earlier this week, the Minneapolis school board approved long time Minneapolis school district administrator, Rochelle Cox, as the interim district superintendent. Cox will replace Ed Graff who is leaving in June.

Graff is not the only leader of a Minnesota school district who has resigned recently—a record number of school board members have also resigned across the state, citing chaos, bullying, and abuse in their districts. Beth Hawkins reported extensively on the great resignation of Minnesota school district leaders over the past year. Beth is a reporter for “The 74”, a news site about education in America.

Tens of thousands of homes and businesses remained without power across southern Minnesota on Thursday morning, in the wake of severe storms that brought damaging winds, flooding rain, hail and a few reports of tornadoes.

The storms were responsible for at least one death — a woman who died in a crash caused by downed power lines along Interstate 90 near Worthington.

New federal report opens the door to reckoning with Minnesota's Native boarding school history and a family in Mankato pleads for help finding a young woman gone missing for more than two weeks. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

Bob Elm waited for the setting sun to dip below the horizon before heading out onto the chilly blue waters of Mille Lacs Lake. At a public landing on the lake’s east side, he and other tribal members loaded spears and buckets into fishing boats, and donned helmets with headlamps attached.

This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.

Paid family leave takes a big step forward at the Capitol, with a long way yet to go. Also, Minnesotans are down in Oklahoma today for the opening of the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa. This is an evening update from MPR News, hosted by Tim Nelson. Music by Gary Meister.

Health officials in Minnesota are asking parents to keep an eye out for signs of hepatitis in their kids as the number of children who have experienced the severe liver disease increases across the country. Three Minnesota children under the age of three have recently contracted hepatitis.

One child required a liver transplant, and all three have since recovered. Dr. Sara Hassan is a pediatric transplant hepatologist and gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic. She joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk more about the increase in hepatitis cases and what parents can do to keep their children safe.

Testimony got underway Monday in the trial of a man charged with lying to a federal grand jury about absentee ballot fraud. Muse Mohamud Mohamed is charged with two counts of making false statements to a grand jury during an investigation that followed the August 2020 primary for a Minnesota Senate seat. In filings, prosecutors allege that Muse Mohamed sent three absentee ballots to the Minneapolis elections office on behalf of three voters using a process called “agent delivery.”

This is a morning update from MPR News, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Music by Gary Meister.